


A Song For You

by juhua



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Idols, Idols, M/M, Multi, Slow Burn, Social Media, Song Lyrics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-13
Updated: 2017-04-14
Packaged: 2018-09-23 23:51:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9688424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/juhua/pseuds/juhua
Summary: “This next song is very, very special to me. This song has inspired me to sing better, perform better, and most importantly, pursue my dream of being a singer. Think of this as my last gift. Everyone, I will be singing Stay Close to Me by Victor Nikiforov.”(the idol au that nobody asked for)





	1. S1S0: Stay Close To Me

**Author's Note:**

> All my love to [kleineelch](http://archiveofourown.org/users/kleineelch/pseuds/kleineelch) for being the best beta-reader and cheerleader ♥♥♥

Yuuri’s first love was music. At times, he could feel it in every breath, every bone in his body. He remembered spending afternoons with Yuuko and Takeshi, his childhood friends, singing and dancing to their favorite songs in the comfort of someone’s house. They even performed for their family and friends, ushering everyone into the living room to watch them sing and dance to songs by Madonna, Sinatra, or Yuuko’s latest favorite boyband. Mari, his sister, would pretend that she was too cool for these impromptu concerts, but Yuuri knew that she always front and center, ready to cheer them on. It was all childish fun, nothing more, nothing less. 

 

It all changed one weekend when Yuuko came running into Yuuri’s house, new CD in one hand, a ragged Takeshi in the other. 

 

“Yuuri you need to listen to this!” she gasped as she shoved the CD at him. It seemed like they had ran all the way from the CD store, with how exhausted they appeared. Takeshi sat on the ground, lightly fanning himself, and even Yuuko, with all her endless enthusiasm and energy, had to lean against the dining room table to take a breather. Yuuri squinted at them before turning his eyes to the very colorful cover. A young man lounged on a throne in a black rhinestone bodysuit, long silver hair pooling around him. His blue eyes are all-knowing, smirk coy. 

 

“Stay Close to Me?” Yuuri read quizzically, adjusting his glasses as he wiped at the CD. In her haste to get over to his house, Yuuko’s sweaty hands had left fingerprints on the case. “Victor… Victor Nikif - how do you pronounce this guys name?” he asked aloud. 

 

“Nikiforov! We need to listen to his album,” said Yuuko impatiently. She was already at the stereo, getting it ready.  “They say that Victor Nikiforov is going to be the next big thing!”

 

“That’s what you said about B*Witched and look what happened to them.” grumbled Takeshi. He’s gotten up from the ground and was already helping himself to Yuuri’s forgotten snack on the table. “And people in America complain that our names are too hard to say. Yet everyone knows how to say Nickyfoo’s last name.”

 

Yuuri ignored him as the song began to play. Soft strings and a light piano spilled from the stereo, filling the quiet kitchen with a melancholy air. It was unlike anything he’d heard on the radio. Soon a young yet emotive voice began to sing and Yuuri’s eyes widened. Victor’s voice was beautiful. 

 

They sat there for a few moments, as the verses melted into the bridge and then chorus. By now Yuuri was gaping like a fish, and even Takeshi blinked in surprise, food forgotten, enraptured by Victor’s voice. 

 

Yuuko grinned smugly. “No, I know it. Victor’s going to be a star.”

 

\---

 

At Yuuko’s insistence, they all joined Victor’s fanclub, Silver Prince. Soon they were sent monthly letters chronicling Victor’s achievements. 

 

“I can’t believe it!” squealed Yuuko on one afternoon. “Victor won both Best Newcomer and Record of the Year! He’s only seventeen!”

 

“Well I can,” said Takeshi sagely. “Stay Close to Me is a masterpiece. A one-in-a-lifetime pairing of a beautiful song and the perfect artist to perform it and all its artistic vision---”

 

“Yuuri, Mari helped you get the limited edition poster right? Show me!” interrupted Yuuko. 

 

As Yuuko ooh-ed and ahh-ed over the poster, Yuuri sat back contentedly. “Victor’s great isn’t he?” I want to sing with him someday,” he said to himself. 

 

\---

 

Since the first time Yuuri had heard Victor sing, in the comfort of his own house, surrounded by Yuuko fangirling and Takeshi humming along, he had been inspired. Because up until that moment, Yuuri had only considered music a side hobby, not a passion or possibly a career path. Afterwards, Yuuri was a changed person. He had decided he wanted to pursue a future in music. 

 

In his spare time, when not helping out at the inn or working on homework, he began dabbling in singing and breathing techniques. Soon Yuuri was asking permission to perform in local music festivals. His parents, although confused, had agreed, on the stipulation that he kept his grades up. Mari was wholly supportive. Eventually Yuuri realized she partially saw him as her ticket to meeting her favorite bands, but mostly she was just proud of her little brother. 

 

It was in middle school when it happened. He was approached by a woman claiming to be a talent agent at a small record label, Ice Castle Records. She had seen Yuuri singing  _ Thank You For The Music _ at a local talent show and was interested in signing him for professional training in singing and dancing.

 

Yuuri could see that this was his chance in achieving his dreams of becoming a singer. Victor had also debuted with a small record label, Y&L. Within a few years, both Y&L and Victor’s career had skyrocketed, gathering prestige, wealth, and many awards. Yuuri knew it wasn’t going to be easy, his on-again-off-again stage anxiety was already proving difficult to manage, but it was worth it in his mind.  What started as a childish dream to sing alongside his idol soon turned into an earnest passion to sing, to perform, and he was willing to work through his anxiety to make his dream happen. 

 

After a few rounds of interviews and research, he was signed to Ice Castle Records. To celebrate, his parents gifted him with a toy poodle, which he had embarrassingly named Vicchan, after his idol. 

 

Yuuri soon began the first of a thousands days of professional training, and eventually debuted in a boyband. It wasn’t exactly the music career path he had in mind -- he had originally wanted to be a solo singer like Victor - but the agency thought that a group would be more marketable. In the end, it worked out for the better; Yuuri, as much as he loved the stage, still had bouts of performance anxiety. However, through the surprisingly good teamwork with his bandmates, he found ways to cope. Yuuri was thankful that he had the other two boys to share the burden and the joy of the stage. He wouldn’t trade it for the world. 

 

\--

 

Message from Yuuko Nishigori:

_ yuuri! your group is performing at matsuri right? i;ll be in the area with the girls, i wanna to see you perform! _

 

Message from Yuuri-kun★ :

_ Thanks Yuuko. There’s going to be a surprise tonight. I hope you get to see us perform. _

 

Message from Yuuko Nishigori:

_ WHAT’S THIS YUUKO BUSINESS? call me yu-chan like you did when we were kids. :*(( _

 

-

 

“Ok boys, I know this is your last performance, but give it all you got!” said Jenny. Her body language was tired, but her eyes shined with pride as she made eye contact with her group, her boys. Three Lights was Jenny’s baby, the first group she managed from debut. And today was the day they were going to announce their official disbandment. 

 

It was inevitable - Ice Castle Records wasn’t doing well and they had to put their entire budget for a new girl group lined up to debut. Three Lights, in terms of popularity, at best was on the lower end of mid-tier and not getting any younger. Their window had already passed. Despite favorable reviews on their singles and praise towards their individual talents, the group never took off, and younger groups continued to debut and become big. Finally after five years, it was time for the Three Lights to retire.

 

Jenny pointing at the eldest of the group.“ Javi, time to turn up the charm and make everyone swoon!” Javier preened and fluffed his hair with exaggerated motions. “Nathan, are you ready to burn up the stage with your rap and smolder?” Nathan good naturedly rolled his eyes but also preened, just slightly. 

 

“And Yuuri!”  

 

With the mention of his name, Yuuri snapped out of his thoughts. He looked up to see Jenny’s gentle gaze on him. He felt himself flush slightly, as both Nathan and Javier were also looking at him, amused at his usual zoning out. “Go out there and show them that you are the vocal powerhouse we all know you are!”

 

“Yeah!” yelled Javier as he wrapped his arms around both Nathan and Yuuri. “Let’s show the world that they will rue the day that they skipped a song by the Three Lights!”

 

“Well...it’s more like everyone at this Japanese festival in Yuuri’s hometown, but sure,” muttered Nathan. Yuuri laughed and felt his nerves dissipate. Just ever so slightly. 

 

“Three Lights!” he said hesitantly, putting his hand out. His smile widened as Javier, Nathan, and even Jenny put their hands out for their cheer. Their last as a team. 

 

“Stage On!”

 

\--

 

Performing always gave Yuuri a thrill. Regardless of how large or small an audience was, how anxious he could get before a performance, how worried he was about his future, Yuuri felt that he belonged on the stage. As a struggling group under a small company, they always wondered if and when they could continue. Now that the wait was finally over, they felt sad but liberated. Yuuri snuck a quick glance at Nathan and Javier and saw that they were also giving their all, performing with an air of freedom they hadn’t felt for months. 

 

“Thank you for listening to our song,  _ Shooting Star _ !” said Javier. The crowd clapped politely and a few people even cheered enthusiastically in the front. Javier took a deep breath before continuing. “You know, this is hard, and I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but this is our farewell performance. It’s been an honor to work with these two guys.” 

 

The crowd gasped quietly at the announcement and a few people shouted a pitiful,  _ ‘We’ll Miss You!’ _ Yuuri felt the telltale prick of tears behind his eyes, but he blinked rapidly and willed himself to not cry on their last stage. Instead he counted down to ten, carefully willed a calm expression on his face as he waved reassuringly at the crowd. A guy in front, a blonde with a red streak in his hair and a camcorder in his hand, started to cry. 

 

“Yes, it’s been a great five years,” says Nathan. He looked out in the crowd and looped an arm around Javier, who was looking suspiciously misty eyed, and the other around Yuuri. Nathan was always their rock. “But don’t you worry, even though our time as a group has come to an end, it won’t be the last you’ll see of us. Promise!” The crowd cheered in support and the guy who was crying earlier was bawling earnestly, camcorder forgotten. 

 

“Say, let’s give everyone a show we all can’t forget. Yuuri, do you want to show them something you’ve been working on?

 

“Sure!” said Yuuri. He gave Nathan’s shoulder a squeeze as the other two walked to the side of the stage, before he turned back to face the crowd. “This next song is very, very special to me. This song has inspired me to sing better, perform better, and most importantly, pursue my dream of being a singer. Think of this as my last gift. Everyone, I will be singing  _ Stay Close to Me _ by Victor Nikiforov.”

 

The lights dimmed slightly as it focused on Yuuri, standing in the middle of the makeshift stage, mic stand in his hand. As the familiar sounds of strings and piano filled the area, he took a small breath and began to sing, mind clearer for the first time in years.  

 

_ “I hear a voice crying far away… Have you been abandoned as well?” _

 

Time seemed to move slowly. With each note, each word, each vibrato, Yuuri was becoming one with the music. He closed his eyes and held onto the mic stand tenderly, as if holding the hands of his imaginary lover. He willed himself to not think of this as his end, but to think of it as a new beginning. He thought back to that afternoon with Yuuko and Takeshi, listening to Victor sing for the first time. This was his new beginning. 

 

_ “Stay close to me, don’t go…. I’m afraid of losing you” _

 

With the swell of the chorus, Yuuri reached out a hand towards the audience, as if grasping desperately for someone, pouring himself into every note. He could see his vision growing hazy as he allowed himself to tear up. The ache of his dismal career, of connecting so intimately to an audience was finally catching up with him. 

 

_ “Let’s leave together….Now I’m ready.” _

 

The audience was quiet as the last few notes echoed throughout the area. Yuuri was out of breath, and red faced from his performance, and for a moment he thought they were going to boo him for ruining a classic, for ruining his supposed favorite song. And then a beat later, the crowd applauded. Not mild applause like Yuuri was used to, but wild, punctuated applause. The guy in front was still sobbing, but there were others looking on in awe, as if seeing Yuuri for the first time. Yuuri could have sworn that he heard Yuuko cheering in the distance. Yuuri’s bandmates came back on stage and enveloped him in a friendly hug. 

 

“Oh my god,” said Nathan into Yuuri’s ear. He carefully angled his mic away so that the audience could not hear. “That was incredible Yuuri!”

 

“You were perfect, even Victor would have been moved!” Javier said with wonder in his voice. 

 

“But how are we going to follow that? We should have had you go last!” they both intoned. 

 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to show either of you up--” Yuuri began, apologetically before he registered their teasing. He stuck his tongue out at them instead and turned back to the audience. “Thank you everyone! Please give Javi and Nathan a lot of love too!” 

 

And just like that Yuuri’s moment passed. Or so he thought. 

 

-

 

4 Messages from Yu-chan:

_ Yuuri-kun! Sorry i had to go after your performance, i had ice cream i needed to put away. _

 

_ i saw your performance of vicctor’s song. yuuri that was so cool!!! ;~~; it was A PERFECT rendition of victorr!  _

 

_ wait no!! its even better!! axel lutz and loop keep on asking if you have a girlfriend, you sang so wonderfully, i think they are in love lol!  _

 

_ I’m so sorry about The Three LIghts :( But the Nishigori family will support you, whatever you decide to do. ❤❤❤  _

 

2 Messages from Yuuri-kun★ :

_ Thanks Yu-chan. It was kind of spur of the moment, but I thought of how we used to sing along to Victor’s song, and wanted to recapture my love for singing again.”  _

 

_ Anyways I’ll talk more later, we have some last minute contract things to wrap up.”  _

 

-

 

A few weeks later, Yuuri was sitting in the back room of the inn, idly folding towels. Vicchan dozed next to him and every so often he’d pause to scratch at his fuzzy belly. Mari walked through the door with a fresh basket of towels. A cigarette was in her mouth and her jacket was on.

 

“Hey sprout,” she greeted. “I’m going on my break, need anything from the store?”

 

“No.” replied Yuuri. He finished with the last batch and reached for the fresh basket. Mari didn’t leave. He could feel her hesitation to ask him The Question. She’d been tiptoeing around him ever since he had come back, and it was strange to see his usually confident big sister like this. 

 

“So how long are you going to help out at the inn?” Tried Mari. “We can handle the inn fine. I mean. You’re very talented, you know. I’m sure you can easily get a new gig or be a vocal instructor. None of the rookies can sing as well as you can; they need all the help they can get.”

 

Yuuri hummed and put away another folded towel. “Not sure when I’ll be ready to go back into the entertainment business,” he explained. “Second chances for flops like me are few and far between. And besides, I like being at home, even if I’m folding towels or helping mom in the kitchen. I appreciate everyone’s support, but I’ll be ready when I’m ready.”

 

“Alright, but you’re too hard on yourself” said Mari. She bent down to pet Vicchan and then ruffled Yuuri’s hair. “Look at you, calling yourself a flop at 23. I will always think of you as that thirteen year old, asking me to help buy Victor’s limited edition poster online.”

 

“Ha ha, go to your store.”

 

Mari giggled as she turned away to leave. “Oh. By the way, Yuuri. Your phone has been ringing and beeping for the last hour in the other room. You should probably check on it. Someone really wants your attention.”

 

-

 

Yuuri was in shock.

 

17 missed calls

 

8 messages from Yu-chan

2 messages from Nathan C

4 messages from Javier F

1 message from Jenny

2 messages from Nishigori

 

239 Twitter Notifications

 

62 Instagram Notifications

 

“What the hell,” Yuuri muttered. What could have happened in the last hour to have his phone explode like this? His phone beeped again and he received another 4 messages. He decided to read those and nearly had a heart attack.

 

1 new message from Yu-chan:

_ YUURI PICK UP. WHERE ARE YOU??? HAVE YOU SEEN THIS FANCAM???  _ [ _ https://youtu.be/exoReV1OAos _ ](https://youtu.be/exoReV1OAos)

 

1 new message from Javier F:

_ WAT THE HELL YUURI ALL THOSE TIMES YOU PRACTICED VICCTORS SONGS DIDNT PREAPARE ME FOR THSI?  _ [ _ https://youtu.be/exoReV1OAos _ ](https://youtu.be/exoReV1OAos) __

 

1 new message from Nathan C:

_ dude lol  _ [ _ https://youtu.be/exoReV1OAos _ ](https://youtu.be/exoReV1OAos)

 

1 new message from Yu-chan:

_ YUURI I SWEAR IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THIS YET. I WILL PERSONALLY SEND MY DARLING CHILDREN TO HARASS YOU  _ [ _ https://youtu.be/exoReV1OAos _ ](https://youtu.be/exoReV1OAos) _ D: D:  _

 

He clicked on the link, the same link that the three of them sent and proceeded to actually panic.

 

[Yuutopia Fancam] Yuuri of Three Lights - Stay Close to Me (Victor Nikiforov Cover) @ 2016 UDM Matsuri

 

Yuutopia. Yuuri recognized that name; it was his most dedicated fan club, if not his only fan club. When the fancam loaded, he’s greeted with a flurry of activity as the person turned on the camera. For a few seconds, he’s greeted by a familiar mop of blond and red hair before the camera turned back to stage. And then he saw himself. 

 

“Everyone, I will be singing Stay Close to Me by Victor Nikiforov.”

 

It was that one crying fanboy, near the stage. The one that Yuuri tried to wave at and comfort. He was the person that uploaded the fancam. Yuuri felt himself grow faint as he looked at the view count of the video. 2,055,231 views, and it was only uploaded a day ago. He hasn’t felt this much dread and excitement for a year, ever since the last music video release from the Three Lights. 

 

In some way, Yuuri missed the hustle and bustle of the entertainment business. He loved his family and loved helping with the inn, but it did not compare to the excitement of being in Three Lights. Although their schedules were never really that full, he still missed the familiar burn of rehearsals, filming, and performing. However this was so much, it was too much; Yuuri didn’t know if he could handle all this unexpected attention.

 

His phone rang again and he jumped. It was from an unfamiliar number, a number that had apparently called him two other times already. 

 

“Hello?” he answered hesitantly. 

 

“Hello, is this Yuuri Katsuki?” a woman’s voice greeted him on the other line. 

 

“...why?” said Yuuri. He’s a bit surprised that the woman doesn’t butcher his name, like everyone else seems to. “I mean. Yes, this is he. I am Yuuri Katsuki.”

 

“Hello, I’m Minako Okugawa, Victor Nikiforov’s manager. I have a business proposition for you.”

 

Minako Okugawa. The name inspired fear and terror in Yuuri’s heart and whatever curiosities he had about how she knew how to pronounce his name ceased - it didn’t matter anymore because  _ the _ Minako Okugawa was talking to him. As a long time fan of Victor’s and someone previously part of the entertainment industry, he knew that Minako was someone you did not want to mess with. In fact, Minako was the fourth person on Yuuri’s personal list that he did not a want a random phone call from. Especially on a day like today. One does not manage a star of Victor’s caliber without being very disciplined and a bit mean. 

 

Yuuri’s hands grew clammy and panic set in. They probably wanted to sue him for ruining Victor’s song and the fansite for uploading the damn thing. 

 

“Hello, Yuuri?” asked Minako. If she had any inclination that Yuuri’s hands were shaking, and the small pressure headache building behind his eyes, she did not care. 

 

“Yes, yes...I am listening.”

 

“We would like to offer you a spot on an upcoming reality tv show, GPF50, or with you on it, GPF51,” said Minako, as if she was discussing the weather. “I have an...uh, a representative coming to your family’s inn soon with the NDAs and contracts and to further discuss the show with you. I told him that he didn’t need to personally make an appearance, but since when does that flighty idiot listen to me? He also took his dog too, I can’t believe him...anyways, he should be there soon.”

 

“Um, excuse me?” said Yuuri, bewildered. Minako chuckled and Yuuri felt his face heat up self-consciously. He just made Minako Okugawa, someone that had managed Victor his entire career, someone who always looked like she’s one step away from punching anyone, chuckle. He pinched himself, wondering if this was some elaborate hidden camera prank. It hurt.

 

“He should be there soon,” repeated Minako. “Jumped on a plane as soon as he got word. Anyways, please consider it. The both of us have seen the video of you singing  _ Stay Close to Me _ , and you’re quite talented.” The last part was said kindly.

 

Yuuri nodded blankly, distracted by the overwhelming amount of information.  _ “Wait, did she say the both of us? Who else…?” _

 

“Yuuri?” called his mother. Yuuri pulled away from his phone to acknowledge her. She appeared in the back room, apologetic smile on her face. “Can you help check this man in? I need to deal with the vendors and dad and Mari are busy. Oh! He has a dog too, one that looks like a bigger version of Vicchan.”

 

“Okay, be there in a minute” He turned back to his phone, already feeling stressed. It couldn’t be who he was thinking of. It was impossible. “Hello Ms Minako? I’ll look into it; please hope for a response sometime tonight. Thank you. Yes. Yes, goodbye.”

 

Minako hung up with one last cryptic message. "I hope he doesn’t give you too much trouble.”

 

The day was definitely turning out stranger than he expected, and was quickly becoming the strangest day of his life. As Yuuri power walked down the hallway to the front desk, he could feel his heart in his throat, beating steadily and quicker than usual. 

 

Yuuri’s mind was a mess of anxious thoughts. It was impossible, he was simply overthinking things like he tended to. The person at the front desk was some random representative from GPF50, who also had a brown poodle, a popular breed that a certain someone also had. It was all a funny coincidence, right? Yuuri missed the stage, missed performing on stage, but why would  _ he  _ come see a washed up failure like Yuuri? Second chances like this were rare and didn’t just happen miraculously, right? 

 

He was wrong. He could not believe he could be so entirely wrong. Standing at the front desk was no other than Victor Nikiforov and his dog, Makkachin. The small choked sound Yuuri made must have tipped off Makkachin, which in turn got Victor’s attention. Soon Yuuri found himself with an armful of fluffy dog.

 

“Um hello do you have a reservation--” began Yuuri as he awkwardly leaned over to pet Makkachin, but couldn’t take his eyes off of Victor.  _ “Oh my god, he’s here. He’s actually here.”  _

 

“Hello you must be Yuuri!” chirped Victor. He whistled and Makkachin returned to his side with a soft bark. Yuuri awkwardly sidled behind the desk, holding onto the edge to keep himself from sitting down in shock. “I have documents here for you to join this reality show I’m hosting.” He slid the envelope towards Yuuri, small smile on his face. Yuuri still couldn’t believe that Victor goddamn Nikiforov was at his family’s inn, standing in front of him.  His training never addressed what to do if his idol, inspiration, unexpectedly waltzed into his life. 

 

“I do hope you say yes.” Victor murmured, as he leaned closer, suddenly very much in Yuuri’s space. Yuuri blushed, unable to look away. Victor’s eyes were very blue, like a Mykonos sky. “I’m certain you can charm the world like you have charmed me.” Victor winked and Yuuri knew he was doomed. 

 

-

 

Yuuri would have never imagined that he one day would be sitting down drinking tea with _ the  _ Victor Nikiforov. Victor was sitting across from him, drinking tea out of Mari’s favorite mug while Makkachin and Vicchan happily ran around at their feet. The idea was so ludicrous; this must be a very realistic, out of control dream. He pinched himself again, and to his surprise and slowly growing horror, he wasn’t dreaming. 

 

With Victor at a more reasonable distance away, Yuuri could finally begin processing his current situation. He wasn’t exactly able function, yet alone think earlier, with Victor so close to him, talking to him with The Voice, winking at him with his damn eye. 

 

_ “Wow he’s something else in person...I could see every eyelash,” _ Yuuri mused as he glanced at the contracts and terms. Anywhere besides at Victor. Yuuri really wished he could have asked for Jenny to look the contract over, but she wasn’t his manager anymore. 

 

“Do you have any questions?” asked Victor, snapping Yuuri out of his thoughts. “I mean, I don’t know anything about contracts, but Minako is just a call away,” He smiled his trademark heart-shaped smile and Yuuri melted inwardly, just a little.  After all these years, to say that Victor was merely his idol or a crush was an understatement. Victor’s influence in Yuuri’s life was far bigger than he could ever properly express. Even making eye contact with the other man caused Yuuri to short circuit.  Luckily, Victor was distracted by the dogs. Vicchan had decided to sit and let Makkachin groom him.

 

“Um, so far, no,” Yuuri said. Victor was looking at him and he felt nervous again. It was true; he didn’t have any questions, not before he’d run the contract by his parents, Takeshi, and even Yuuko to see if they found any funny business. However that was for later. Now that he had Victor’s attention, he had a question to ask. “At least, not about the contract.” The last statement piqued Victor’s interest; he nodded and sat up straighter, polite expression on his face, suddenly all business. 

 

_ “This was the Victor that the media is used to,” _ thought Yuuri. Yuuri was always astounded how people like Victor, Beyonce, and even Nathan can easily flit between business and regular mode. It was like a switch was flipped in their minds, bringing out this other persona that charmed audiences. At the end of the day, Yuuri was always plain normal Yuuri, just less anxious and with makeup on, so the change was never as pronounced. This time, he decided to, swallow his own nerves, and boldly ask his question. 

 

“Why me?” asked Yuuri.

 

“You have seen your own fancam right? You have potential--” 

 

“Yes. But that was like...an amateur hour cover of your song! Your hit song! Out of the three of us in the Three Lights, I am the least talented. Javier or Nathan are much more--”

 

“I don’t think you get it,” interrupted Victor. His expression was amused, but the quirk of his mouth suggested something else. A challenge. “Yes, your cover became viral. And while it wasn’t technically perfect, it was better than I could ever do.”

 

Yuuri shrunk back at this admission. He carefully watched Victor’s face, looking for any trace of humor or a lie, but Victor was frankly honest. This didn’t make any sense to Yuuri. “I’m sorry, but that’s such a broad statement. How could I perform  _ your  _ song better than you?”

 

Over the years, Yuuri had watched practically every performance of  _ Stay Close to Me _ , from the pop version that became wildly popular, to live concert rearrangements, to even the operatic aria version performed in Italy. However his personal favorite was always the original. It was an one-of-lifetime song that introduced Victor to the world, to Yuuri. Nowadays, Victor rarely performed it, choosing to sing more recent hits instead. When asked as to why, his answer was always a polite forced grin. This was the same grin he directed at Yuuri 

 

“As a teenager, I was able to adequately perform the song with a youthful passion and energy, but it was lacking a certain something.” Victor breathed a deep sigh, suddenly looking more resigned than Yuuri had ever seen him. “I used to think that _ Stay Close To Me _ could never be perfected. I tried for so many years, but after a while, I gave up. I realized one day, after a long day of filming, that this song would have been perfect, or at least more fitting, if sung by more naive, younger man. Don’t you see?”

 

“But--,” Yuuri began.

 

“I saw your performance after it had gone viral, and I was blown away…” Victor continued as he gazed adoringly at Makkachin, who had decided to curl up at his feet. “We think you would be a great addition for the show because you’re not exactly a rookie, but were part of a failed group. It’ll be exciting. Everyone loves an underdog story.”

 

Yuuri furrowed his brow. Victor’s words, although accurate, stung. “Hey, I know how these shows work. And if you only see me as ratings or some pity contestant to eliminate first then--”

 

Victor held up his hands in apology. “Don’t get me wrong - people would eat up the underdog angle. But personally? You are talented. And I think it could be very enlightening to see you back on stage.” Victor said as he looked at Yuuri with a small smile.   

 

Yuuri’s mind was muddled; he still wasn’t sure how much of this was Victor feeding him a line and how much was genuine interest. However Yuuri knew what he had to do. He missed the stage and this was his second chance to continue his dream. Second chances were rare, and he knew he had to take it.

 

“Okay. Where do I sign?"


	2. S1E1: Every Every Every Day, I am Making History

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri was already feeling stressed out. Today was his first day on location and he already felt overwhelmed by the schedule they had given him. And this was the pre-filming schedule, tomorrow they begin filming for Episode 1!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Even though the story follows Yuuri’s progression and how he interacts with everyone on the show, I wanted to show some of the other characters thoughts/motivations like the audience would see it. Since this is a reality TV show, there would be confessionals sprinkled in throughout the narrative. These are written in stage direction format, like a script. I hope it isn’t too confusing! 
> 
> Once again, all my love to [kleineelch](http://archiveofourown.org/users/kleineelch/pseuds/kleineelch) for being the best beta-reader and cheerleader ♥♥♥

Yuuri was already feeling stressed out. Today was his first day on location and he already felt overwhelmed by the schedule they had given him. It had been a whirlwind of activity since Victor had waltzed into his life and Yuuri had signed the contract. In the end, he had faxed the completed contract after vetting it with a local entertainment lawyer, but not without a few moments of panic. Victor didn’t seem too worried about Yuuri not signing it immediately and had left just as unexpectedly as he came, stating something about having schedules the next town over.

After a few last minute preparations, saying goodbye to his family _again_ , and hopping on a red-eye flight to LA, Yuuri was running on adrenaline and frazzled nerves, unable to sleep on the plane. It was only a little over a week but Yuuri felt like he had aged five years.

Yuuri might have had experience as an entertainer and the sometimes hectic scheduling that occurred, but it was always in smaller scale and a slower pace. It didn’t compare to _this_. Already his schedule was packed - from the photoshoots, to interviews, rehearsal, and even appointments with stylists and costume designers, all with cameras filming them. Yuuri was both terrified and excited at what he has gotten himself into.

The shows premise was relatively straightforward. Even though it was marketed as a talent search, at its core GPF51 was reality TV entertainment. Ordinarily, Yuuri would have never bothered trying out, but now that he was a free agent, what did he have to lose? He remembered how popular Miss SuperStar was, and that many of the contestants found success after the show. GPF51 was similar enough and with Victor’s involvement, it was guaranteed some success.

His first stop was checking into his room and dropping off his luggage. The show had rented a series of small apartments next to the studio for the contestants with an assigned roommate. The apartments were nice enough, full of amenities but Yuuri didn’t expect to have time to use any of the extras. If he was to take this seriously, he would be spending most of his waking moments practicing. Yuuri was thankful that the contract stated that the apartments were camera free; he appreciated that there was some semblance of privacy.

Yuuri had only spoken to his roommate, Leo, once in passing. Leo was on his way out, just as Yuuri was on his way in with his luggage, but Leo seemed nice enough. Yuuri made a note to get to know his roommate later on that night. If they were in this together, they might as well have each others backs. Yuuri knew it probably wasn’t wise to befriend his supposed rivals, but he didn’t believe in contrived rivalry. It just wasn’t his thing.

The rest of the day seemed to pass by too quickly. Already Yuuri had met so many people, but he barely remembered them; he was entirely focused on not messing up and coming off as unprofessional or unworthy of being on the show. Yuuri vaguely remembered his profile interview, where the producer asked him about his song choice, his musical influences and his time with The Three Lights, but drew a blank on what else was asked.

A few times in passing, Yuuri thought he heard a few contestants and staff talk about him and felt the stares on his back. A few of the other contestants came by to introduce themselves, and although they were polite, Yuuri couldn’t help but see a calculating look in their eyes. _‘Why are you here?’_ they silently asked. _‘What more could a flop like you offer?’_

It stung and worried Yuuri, but he decided to push down those feelings and move on. He could never confirm his own fears and he had other schedules to prepare for. Yuuri wasn’t going to panic in front of camera and cause unnecessary drama. He could never say it aloud, even in the supposed confessionals, but Yuuri was here to prove himself. Ratings were not important to him.

He was on his way to hair and makeup when it happened.

“Hey Fancam! Yuuri Katsuki?” a voice called from behind him. Yuuri turned around and saw a group of four behind him.

Yuuri was a bit confused. What did they want? Was he in trouble? “Yes?”

“Dude...so I guess Leo wasn’t lying?” said one of the contestants. He was the one that had called out to Yuuri and he had a bewildered look on his face.

“Jeremiah please - Leo would never lie, he’s too nice of even have a bad thought,” said another male. He had floppy bangs and a smile that reached his eyes and lit up his entire face. “Hey I’m Phichit. Glad to meet you!”

Yuuri shook Phichit’s hand, still puzzled. “Nice to meet you too Phichit,” he said cautiously, he glanced at the other three and then noticed the cameraman filming them. “Is everyone going to the stylists too?“

“Well I’m done for the day and don’t need to be anywhere, but Seunggil, Jeremiah, and Michael still need makeup.” Phichit said as he pointed at the others. The other three waved at him but didn’t move from where they stood. One of them, Seunggil possibly, turned to not-so-subtly glare at the camera, and Yuuri was momentarily amused as the cameraman shuffled back a few inches.

Phichit leaned in to whisper to Yuuri, turning subtly to be out of earshot of the others. “Personally, I would aim for either Ashley or Adam from the styling team. I trust them - their hair and eyeliner are on point.” Yuuri nodded at the Phichit, still unsure as to why the other contestant was helping him. Phichit waggled his eyebrows in a conspiring way.

Meeting the makeup and styling team was fun and went by more quickly than Yuuri had anticipated. In the end he had decided to go with Phichit’s advice and selected Adam as his stylist for the day. He blushed as the other man praised Yuuri on his complexion but was adamant when Adam suggested contact lenses.

“You have such beautiful eyes though,” Adam sighed as he fluffed Yuuri’s bangs.

The last part of Yuuri’s schedule was a photoshoot and he was last up. The photos would be used to generate interest in the contestants. Yuuri felt awkward as the photographer gave him instructions on how to pose with the props, a skateboard in this instance, but at least he knew what poses and angles worked for him. What he didn’t understand was why both Phichit and Seunggil were still hanging a little bit away from the studio area. Yuuri could hear snippets of Phichit’s light laughter and Seunggil’s deadpan responses over the sounds of the photographer’s instructions.

It wasn’t distracting having them there; in fact it was reassuring in a strange way even if it was puzzling. Seunggil had completed his shoot before Yuuri, and Phichit had completed everything even earlier; they could have easily gone home but they didn’t. Were they waiting for him to finish? Why were they waiting for him?

“Yuuri, love the sweet smiles you’re giving me!” called the photographer. Yuuri snapped out of his thoughts and straightened up from where he was sitting on the sofa. The theme for the photoshoot was “new beginnings” and the instructions were to give the audience a good impression. Everyone was given the same set of clothes for promotional reasons, something about eliminating advantages from a flashy costume and Yuuri was thankful that it was modest at least.

The outfit was literally a modified uniform - with an embroidered gray blazer, a white button up short, a blue tie or bowtie, and black slacks. Although everyone was wearing the same outfit, the image they wanted to present was entirely dependent on the contestant. By now Yuuri had ditched the skateboard and had picked up a red rose instead. He settled for politely smiling at the camera, trying to appear as friendly as possible.

Yuuri was so focused on not looking unphotogenic that he was startled when the photographer asked for something different, something flirty. Yuuri could not do sexy, he just didn’t have it in him to not look ridiculous, and was about to tell the photographer so when a thought stopped him.

To Yuuri’s surprise, in a moment of clarity or perhaps desperation, the cover of Stay Close to Me came to his mind. It was that album, that very cover that introduced Victor to Yuuri. First impressions are so important and at the age of seventeen Victor had beguiled the world. Yuuri, in that moment, realized the photographer was asking for the same kind of charm that would draw in the audience. These series of photos were a second-first impression for Yuuri. A chance to reintroduce himself, a rebirth. Conceptually Yuuri knew that he had to capture the same feeling, but he had to do so on his own terms, in his own color. With that last thought he decided to do what felt right.

 _‘Take a chance on me,’_ he thought as he brushed his bangs back and smiled sweetly. _‘Don’t you want to see my full potential?’_

“Yes! I love it!” cheered the photographer. He moved around to take more pictures from different angles with Yuuri making small adjustment to his pose here and there. After a few more shots, Yuuri randomly decided to lean back, take off his glasses and rest it gently next to his chin. He squinted at the sudden blurriness and he could feel a light sheen of sweat on his forehead from the hot lights. Yuuri couldn’t see a thing but he felt good about the photos, if by going by the rapid clicking sounds of the shutter.

The photographer finally stopped and gave him a thumbs up. “Perfect! I have more than enough good material. You may go now.”

-  
Phichit and Seunggil were in their casual clothes and hanging around the photoshoot area when Yuuri finished his shoot and was back in his own clothes. He nodded at them both before turning around and walking back to the main studio. Yuuri hadn’t expected either boy to stay and wait for him, and he appreciated that they did, but there one more thing he wanted to do to wrap up his day.

After his photoshoot, he had intended to stop by the main studio to say goodnight to the crew and producers. It wasn’t necessary, but it was a habit he had picked up from Javier. When they had first started with the Three Lights, Javier always made it a point to greet the crew regardless of how early or late they arrived.

“These people are working hard to make sure we look good, so the least we can do is acknowledge them.” Javier used to say. Yuuri found himself impressed by the other man’s courtesy and continued the tradition.

“Yuuri, where are you going?” inquired Phichit. He trotted up beside Yuuri, jacket haphazardly put on. “You’re done for the night right? Want to grab din-din?”

“Yes, but do you mind stopping by the main studio first?” replied Yuuri. He was still surprised that they stayed an extra time, all to get dinner with him. “I want to speak to the crew.”

“Why?” asked Seunggil. He tilted his head and looked to Phichit who shrugged. “Do you need something?”

“I only wanted to wish them a goodnight.” said Yuuri. He had opened the door to the studio to see if there was anyone inside. “These people are as a part of the show as we are, and they work very hard for us. I want to at least thank them for their efforts.”

Yuuri was making his rounds when Phichit and Seunggil caught up to him. He smiled to himself as they also started bading the crew a goodnight.

“Yuuri that’s really cool of you,” Phichit said. They were on their way back to the apartments. Seunggil nodded sagely next to them. “I guess there’s more to this TV show than meets the eye.”

Yuuri hummed but didn’t say anything additional.

-

It was late by the time they had reached the apartments. Phichit, with his endless enthusiasm for anything and everything, had suddenly been struck with just how tired he really was and Seunggil had to practically carry the other boy back to their room. Yuuri bid them a goodnight with a tired smile of his own. They were a funny pair and Yuuri found himself enjoying their company.

Leo was lounging on his bed by the time Yuuri had returned. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that it took him a second to realize that Leo had said hello.

“Hey Leo,” he began. “Sorry we didn’t get a chance to properly get to know each other this morning. I’m--”

“You’re Yuuri, I know,” said the other boy, smiling good-naturedly. He closed his notebook and got up to give Yuuri a polite handshake. “It’s cool. You had landed from a red-eye flight. I was running late for my 7am makeup test. What a crazy day, right? And it’s only day one!”

Yuuri laughed and himself more at ease, just a bit. He could already feel the bags under his eyes and made a note to ask Ashley or Adam to help him cover it the next day. “Yeah, I still can’t believe this show is real,” he admitted.

“Let’s hope that they keep the dramatic twists to a minimum.” said Leo. “I’m pretty sure I could hear my entire neighborhood scream when they eliminated Sala on Miss SuperStar, but then brought her back for the finale! How crazy was that!”

Yuuri chuckled and sat down on his bed, suddenly feeling very tired himself. “Well that is TV for you,” he offered. “And we have another 7am filming schedule tomorrow…”

Leo groaned and begrudgingly went to get ready for bed. Yuuri robotically washed up, the realization dawning that the first day of official filming was tomorrow. Too soon, Leo had turned off the light, bid Yuuri goodnight, and quickly fell asleep. Leaving Yuuri lying in the dark, his thoughts were a twisted mess. Eventually, after an hour or two of tossing and turning, he drifted off in an exhausted sleep.

-

Morning came too soon and Yuuri felt even more tired than he did after his red eye flight. Leo, to Yuuri’s immense jealousy, looked well rested and at ease. He laughed happily with Adam as the other man styled his hair, and even perked up as another contestant, a tall smiley bearded man, came by to chat.

“Just take deep breaths and everything will be okay,” said a voice in his ear. Yuuri jumped as Ashley appeared beside him, makeup in hand. “Now I’m going to need you to take off your glasses, hun. We need to cover up those dark circles!”

-

_ GPF51 Stage - Day 1 of Filming _

A tall figure in black slacks and a fuchsia blazer walks across a darkened stage. The spotlight follows him as he stops in the middle of the stage, silver hair reflecting near white. The gold details of his blazer sparkle in the light, like medals. The camera zooms in and he begins speaking confidently.

Victor  
Hello everyone. I’m Victor Nikiforov and I am your host for GPF51. We have 51 men here with us today to show us who has the Grand Performance Factor. Are you ready to choose the nation’s next male superstar?

He gestures behind him and four other figures join him in the spotlight. The first figure is a man in a sharp blue suit, long hair tied up in a ponytail. Next to him stands an older gentleman in a trenchcoat and hat, face set in a perpetual frown. To his left is a woman, posture perfectly straight and bright yellow dress blinding in the spotlight. The last person to join is a woman with fire red hair and a glittering white pantsuit.

Victor  
The choice is yours, but helping you today are our four esteemed judges - the incomparable Celestino Cialdini from Celestino Records, my dear friends - Yakov Feltsman and Lilia Baranovskaya from Y&L, the lovely Mila Babicheva from Miss SuperStar, and of course myself.  
Are you ready? It’s show time!

Victor raises a hand over his head, towards the sky, and snaps his fingers. Suddenly the stage lights turn on and the audience sees an empty main stage. In the background there is a tall platform with multiple rows and chairs placed all around. The camera slowly pans up, focusing steadily on a chair on the topmost platform with the number one etched into it. The camera fades out to the sounds of applause from the audience.

-

One of Yuuri’s tasks prior to arriving in LA was to prepare a solo performance. The instructions were relatively straightforward yet also not - his performance was to play to his strengths but to also surprise the audience and judges by doing something unexpected. Yuuri was initially puzzled at the seemingly contrary requirements, but after a few days of racking his brain for some hidden message or inspiration, Yuuri gave up. There was no use overthinking things as usual. And so Yuuri rehearsed two songs and decided to leave at that. With yesterday's excitement, he had forgotten all about the solo performance. There was a reason for everything, however.

Today was the first day of filming, official filming, and they were going to perform their solo acts for the judges and Victor. Yuuri felt faint as he had not been anticipating this. He should have anticipated this. They were backstage, sectioned off in groups of ten in their respective waiting rooms, getting ready. Yuuri was in Group E, the last group, and he was doing his best to keep his breakfast down.

A camera crew was situated in the corner filming. However, Yuuri was inclined to believe that there wasn’t much footage to use since everyone was either quietly preparing or talking nervously in small groups. Yuuri idly stared around the room to see if there was anyone he knew and if anyone else was as much of a wreck as he felt. Leo, Phichit and Seunggil were apparently in a different group, as he didn’t see them. He absently smoothed down his hair and then fiddled with his tie to keep himself calm.

From his tour yesterday, Yuuri knew that there was an entire wardrobe team dedicated to providing performance outfits, but they were once again back in their gray blazers and black slacks. Today Yuuri had chose a slightly different tie by accident - a patterned blue tie that was definitely a bit more bold than the one he had yesterday but nothing out of his comfort zone. He wanted to stand out for his singing, not for how he looked. In the corner, he could see Jeremiah talking to another man, a tall blonde with brown roots.

Jeremiah had opted for a more casual image than Yuuri - he had on the uniform, but decided to leave his tie loose around his neck. The other man, however, had chosen an entirely different image. Yuuri couldn’t help but stare. Unlike Yuuri, who had buttoned every single button of his shirt, and Jeremiah, who had left only the top button undone, the other man had decided to leave half of his shirt unbuttoned. His bowtie was also loose, accentuating just how much chest he was showing off.

Yuuri squinted at the blonde, noting that he looked vaguely familiar. Jeremiah noticed Yuuri looking at them and nudged the other, pointing in Yuuri’s direction. And to Yuuri’s horror, the other man turned and made eye contact with Yuuri. He grinned widely and Yuuri was surprised as he recognized just who that was. Suddenly the outfit made entire sense.

“What is Christophe Giacommeti doing on this here?” thought Yuuri as he hesitantly waved at the duo. “He’s an actor, why is he on a singing show?”

“Yuuri, so nice to see you back in the spotlight.” Christophe greeted as he sat down next to Yuuri. He moved his arm to rest on the couch behind Yuuri, suddenly very close. “I’m so very happy to see a familiar handsome face. Not that you’re not handsome, Jeremiah.” He added, fluttering his eyelashes demurely. Christophe was looking in Jeremiah’s direction, but his eyes were trained on the camera behind him. Of course.

“Whatever Chris,” said Jeremiah he rolled his eyes but smiled anyways. “Keep the flattery for the judges and Victor. Anyways Yuuri, what are you going to sing for the judges? _Stay Close To Me_?”

“No.” replied Yuuri. He bit his lip as both Chris and Jeremiah looked surprised. “I had considered it briefly, but decided not to. People have already seen that. I want everyone to see that I can do more than cover Victor’s songs.”

“So what are you going to perform?” asked Chris.

“I hope it’s not some depressing slow song,” drawled Jeremiah at the same time. “No offense, but your group had some boring ballads, and your dance songs were bland. You should know that most people would turn off the TV if they see you perform a ballad for your first impression.” Jeremiah said. He stared hard at Yuuri and even Christophe was peering over curiously.

Yuuri smiled but didn’t say anything further. He excused himself and walked away, feeling both of their eyes on his back. He bit his lip, feeling more unsure about his song choice than he did five minutes ago. What Jeremiah said was probably meant to psych him out, but also wasn’t exactly wrong. Yuuri idly wondered if it would be too late to change his song…

Yuuri left the room, wandering around aimlessly until he saw Stephanie, the lead stage coordinator.

“Excuse me.” he called to her. She looked up from her clipboard, eyebrow raised. “I have a question…”

-

_ Confessional Room - Jeremiah Smith _

Jeremiah  
I feel good. As they say, they’re saving the best for last, so there must be some anticipation for us? Anyways I feel good about my song choice, about my performance. I think the judges will have a good time and I hope that the audience likes it too. They certainly won’t be bored like some of the other performances by the contestants, that’s for sure.

Producer  
Who do you feel is your biggest competition?

Jeremiah  
Hmm. I think JJ is a big threat. He’s always doing collabs on YouTube. The same for Cao Bin, I saw his rap and it was very good. I guess I should say Yuuri too? Since he was in some group so he knows what it’s like on stage even if he looks so worried all the time.

Producer  
Do you feel a sense of rivalry with these people, then?

Jeremiah  
[Jeremiah laughs before shaking his head.]  
Nah! Well we are rivals, but I’d want to do well on my own merit, not on their failures. Though if they think I have something against them, I wouldn’t be surprised. I’m pretty blunt so sometimes it comes out meaner than I intend it.

-

_ Confessional Room - Christophe Giacommetti _

Christophe  
I bet it is strange to see an actor-model on this show! But I don’t think it’s that strange. After all, Victor is always prattling about reinventing himself and so I thought, why not! You might be surprised with what I can put out.  
[winks at the camera]

Producer  
Oh. Uh, how do you feel about performing for the first time in front of judges?

Christophe  
To be honest, I’m feeling fantastic. Excited. It’s not that different than trying out for a role. Acting, modeling, singing, dancing, it’s all a performance in the end, isn’t it? And if it’s really out of my comfort zone, well at least I know how to show off my good side and do a body wave.  
[he chuckles good-naturedly at his own joke and winks again]

-

There was a large TV screen backstage, close to where Yuuri stood while waiting for his turn on stage. He was fourth to go for his group. Everyone backstage watched in morbid fascination as their fellow contestants went out, performed and received critique from the judges. Yuuri however, was doing everything to focus, taking deep breaths to keep himself calm. He nibbled his lip anxiously as he tried his hardest to ignore the clapping from the audience and the soft murmuring of the judges speaking. It was only Victor’s voice that broke him out of his reverie, drawing his attention to the TV.

Victor looked good. He always looked good, but today he looked even more striking than normal. After a few moments of watching Victor joke around on stage, Yuuri realized why. Victor was excited, genuinely excited; more than Yuuri had seen in a long time. Victor’s smile was reaching his eyes and it was a lovely sight.

Standing next to Victor was a short blond, the last to go in Group D. Like Jeremiah, he had also opted a more casual image for his uniform, foregoing the standard blue ties completely and wearing a tiger print bowtie instead. Yuuri had missed his performance, but he could tell that the blond did well. The audience was cheering wildly for him. .

“And that was Yuri Plisetsky! Wasn’t that a passionate rendition of _Mad World_? Only fifteen and already such a talent! Reminds me of another star on stage, but who can I be thinking of?” Victor finished, looking at Yuri with an exaggerated shocked expression.

Light laughter resounded from the studio as the audience reacted to Victor’s antics. Yuri furrowed his brows in what appeared to be irritation, but quickly smoothed it to a polite, if not tight, smile. He looked like he was going to say something rude, but decided not to.

“Everyone, give another round of applause for Yuri!” said Victor after a brief pause. He clapped a friendly hand on Yuri’s shoulder, and Yuri waved to the crowd before he left the stage. Victor smirked into the camera and put a finger to the side of his face, as if in deep thought.

“Now, I bet you’re absolutely _dying_ from the crazy amounts of talent today, but don’t faint just yet! There are more surprises to come, after this commercial break!” He ended with a wink, just as the producer signaled for a break.

“Group E.” a voice called. Yuuri looked away from the TV to see Stephanie standing in front of him, clipboard in hand. “You’re up in fifteen. Remember your order. Giacometti, you’re first.” Chris nodded and did one final stretch, shaking his limbs languidly.

“I don’t know about you guys,” Jeremiah said loudly towards nobody in particular. He was second to perform following Chris. “But I know I’m going to wow everyone, no boring songs for me!” Yuuri could have sworn that Jeremiah looked over at him, but Yuuri ignored him, and continued his breathing exercises.

“Yuuri.” Stephanie said, interrupting him. She glanced at Yuuri briefly before flipping through her notes. “I asked the producer if we could switch your song to your other choice and Ms. Kubo said it’s fine.” And with that she walked away, undoubtedly to check on something else.

“Thank You!” called Yuuri. He looked around to see if anyone had noticed, but they were busy doing their last minute stage rituals, Chris gave him a friendly smile from his spot from the wings and Yuuri waved in return. He clenched his fist and looked to the ground, adrenaline running through his veins. He was about to return to the stage.

-  
  
The stage lights were as bright as Yuuri remembered. He felt warm, anxious and above all nervous as he stood on the side getting ready for his cue. The stage was bigger than it looked yesterday, bigger now with a full audience and staff in the studio. It was even larger than most stages than Yuuri had been on, with a large screen, a judges panel, and a large constructed platform with rows. The idea of so many people in the studio watching him perform was overwhelming and he briefly panicked and thought of giving up right then and there, second chances be damned. He didn’t have time to act the thought, though, as he felt a gentle nudge from Stephanie.

“And now, this next young man, well. I don’t think he needs an introduction. He managed to wow the world, and me!. With my own song, no less! Please welcome, Yuuri Katsuki.”

That was his cue. Yuuri strode on stage, feeling the blood rush to his ears and an inkling of something unexpected, another emotion settle in his throat. Must Victor bring up his song cover? Did the producer write that in, or was that an ad-lib? Why couldn’t he introduce Yuuri normally like everyone else? Yuuri was more than one viral video, and he didn’t like how everyone kept on bringing it up.

Yuuri felt the heat of the stage lights and the layers of foundation on his face, hiding the dark circles under his eyes. Hei felt small and imperfect standing next to Victor. Victor, with his perfect hair and pristine makeup, standing tall on stage with a serene expression on his face. Seeing Victor at his home was an unusual experience, but standing next to the man on stage with makeup on and cameras trained on them, was downright surreal. Yuuri felt faint.

“Yuuri, please introduce the song you will sing for us today,” Victor prompted, interrupting Yuuri’s quietly growing panic. Yuuri turned marginally to look at Victor, looked into his curious eyes and expectant face, and realized that he was late for his cue.

A lone mic stand stood in front of him. Yuuri blankly reached out held it, feeling the warmth of the plastic under his fingertips. He licked his lips, and looked towards the judges, at the cameras filming him. These four people with their critique, could make or break his second chance on stage, but their word wasn’t final. The audience and the many others that would watch the show - their votes are what ultimately matter. Yuuri could be eliminated today, or the next day, or even win the entire thing but it was up to him to show everyone who he is, what he can do.

Victor was an inspiration, but he wasn’t the reason why Yuuri was back on stage. Over the years, Yuuri has sang for his love of music, his love for perfecting a song, his love for the stage. Yuuri here for himself; he needed to show that he was more than able of performing beyond their wildest imaginations, and he was damned if he was going to leave the show without trying. He felt the tension dissipate in his shoulders and before he knew it he was speaking into the mic.

“Hello I’m Yuuri.” he began. He licked his lips again, noticing how chapped they were all of a sudden. “Before I perform, I would like to make something clear.” Yuuri purposely looked into each of the judges eyes, and finally glancing over at Victor, who was standing by his side.

“I know you all know me from that YouTube video and probably expect me to sing one of Victor’s songs again.” Yuuri continued, his heart in his throat. By now all the judges looked a little more awake, the long haired judge even looked excited, sitting up with rapt attention. Yuuri’s voice almost wavered, almost but he managed to keep it steady, to drive his message home. “But I am more than that, I’m capable of surprising you even more. This next song is something a different from me, from my past. I hope you learn something new about me today. Everyone, I will be singing _Teenage Dream_.”

As the first opening chords echoed through the now quiet studio, Yuuri made eye contact with Victor when he moved off stage. Surprise shone in Victor’s eyes, as he took his place next to the judges, his mouth opened comically. Yuuri held Victor’s gaze for a moment longer before he looked to the audience and began singing.

_“You think I’m pretty without any makeup on. You think I'm funny, when I tell the punchline wrong. I know you get me, so I'll let my walls come down, down.”_

The performance started stiffly, with Yuuri stumbling through his steps and gestures. A flat noted punctuated the end of the first verse and Yuuri cringed at the failed attempt. Yuuri was distracted. Despite talking big, he really didn’t have a plan on how to perform the song and was spending too much time overthinking. Yuuri took a deep breath to squelch down the feelings of frustration and nerves. He hated to lose, especially to his own expectations.

While he was still at home, Yuuri had meticulously practiced the song he was originally going to sing, Frank Sinatra’s _That’s Life_. It was a song that he knew he could make his own, one that fit his career and offered a path to reintroducing himself to the public. Yuuri had every detail planned out to perfection - what he’d do, what emotion he’d convey, what part of the stage he’d be at any given point of the song. It was so rehearsed that, while a technically flawless performance, had lost most of the charm.

Yuuko saw the problem immediately after Yuuri performed on her own insistence, and had suggested the more modern song to make it performance worthy. By then Yuuri was only able to spare an hour or two to learn Teenage Dream and its lyrics and spent zero time feeling the song.

Did he take a risk by changing songs last minute? Especially for a song he wasn’t entirely comfortable with? Yes he did, but Yuuri was determined to see this through. Jeremiah, with his goading, had reminded Yuuri what he had sought out to do with GPF51. Yuuri was more than a nobody from a disbanded boyband, more than a guy who did a really good cover of a popular song. Yuuri was Yuuri; what mattered is that he is honest with himself and to everyone watching him. With that thought on his mind, Yuuri relaxed and everything clicked in place.

 _“You and I, we'll be young forever,”_ Yuuri sang and gave an impromptu twirl. He chuckled as he fell slightly out of step but he was having fun.

Yuuri was never a strong dancer, but what he lacked in actual dancing ability, he made up for it by connecting with people. As Yuuri traveled up and down the stage, singing and making eye contact with various audience members, the judges, and even Victor, he knew he wasn’t perfect. It was likely everyone could tell that he was winging the performance and he was off for a few notes here and there, but he didn’t care. Yuuri was doing what felt natural, losing himself the playful nature of the song.

 _“I'm a get your heart racing, in my skin-tight jeans, be your teenage dream tonight.”_ sang Yuuri, blushing as he found Victor staring up at him, mysterious smile on his lips. It was nearing the end of the song, and Yuuri was back on center stage, gently swaying side to side.

 _“Let you put your hands on me, in my skin-tight jeans, I’ll be your teenage dream tonight.”_ Yuuri finished softly as he sang into the camera in front. His performance ended with one last twirl.

After the song ended, the studio was quiet. And in that moment too many anxious thoughts crawled through Yuuri’s head. Maybe he was really bad and his journey would end on the first episode. Maybe they hated his performance, thinking lowly of how unprepared he was. Maybe they thought he wasn’t serious after all, after making a big deal in his speech. Maybe--

The studio exploded in applause.

-

Backstage, Phichit, Leo, and Seunggil were sitting on a sofa watching Yuuri’s performance. They all clapped quietly, in awe as they saw their friend transform in front of them.

“I’d thought Yuuri would do better than that.” muttered Seunggil, he had his hand on his chin, in deep thought. “He was off a few times, and his dancing was awkward. And I was so sure he was going to fall off the stage at one point. But…”

“But you couldn’t look away,” finished a voice. The three looked up to see Christophe standing next to them, hands on his hips. He also looked impressed. “I didn’t think he had it in him.”

Phichit looked at them all, proud smile on his face. “I told you guys. Do not underestimate Yuuri.”

-

“Wow Yuuri!” Victor gushed as he returned on stage. He clapped a friendly arm on Yuuri’s shoulder, signature smile on his face as they turned so that they were both facing the cameras. “That was exhilarating! Wouldn’t you say so, judges?  
  
Yakov leaned forward and peered up at Yuuri, as if seeing him for the first time. He waited for a few moments as the audience died down and the studio was once again still. “You know, I was so sure that you were going to be all talk but,” Yakov paused and folded his hands in his lap. Yuuri visibly relaxed, happy that he had survived his first performance. “I think you still need a lot of work, but you made your point across.”

“I’d expect more from someone with your experience,” began Lillia. The audience reacted with a few shocked gasps. Yuuri from his place on stage could feel his stomach drop. She waited a few moments to finish the rest of her critique. “Your footwork was sloppy, and you missed some notes. But. You were heartfelt and a joy to watch.”

“You two are such sticklers,” said Celestino, leaning over to gesture wildly at both Yakov and Lillia like they were crazy. His long hair fluttered behind him as he shook his head. Celestino turned back to Yuuri all smiles. “So you weren’t perfect, that’s true. But you had a good performance, and I think you could go a long way.”

Mila smiled patiently as she waited for Celestino to finish teasing the other two judges. Yuuri froze a little under her gaze, finding her harder to read than the other judges. As the runner-up of Miss SuperStar, she never once cracked under pressure. She, out of all the people on the judging panel, knew how it felt on stage receiving critique.

“I think what we witnessed today was a rebirth,” Mila began. She leaned on one hand and stared at them through her lashes. “Your cover of _Stay Close to Me_ was a swan song for your old career, but I think your performance today is the new beginning.”

Mila smiled sunnily at him and Yuuri sighed in relief. With one last wave and bow, he left the stage. Backstage was a flurry of activity as the crew members and contestants moved around him, shouting instructions and asking for directions. Yuuri all but ignored everything, ears ringing from the audience's applause. As he walked back to the waiting room, he let out a breath of relief.

“And now, introducing Canada’s YouTube sensation, Jean-Jacques Leroy!”

-

“Oh my god Yuuri, that was incredible!” squealed Phichit. He ran up to Yuuri as soon as the other man entered the waiting room and all but tackled him. “I bet your performance is going to go viral!”

“Um, thank you?” groaned Yuuri. He wrapped a hand around Phichit’s shoulder, unsure of how to pry the other man off of him. “Sorry I didn’t catch your performance, I hope you did well…?”

“Mine was whatever,” shrugged Phichit. “Celestino said he liked my energy but Lillia said I was tone-deaf. But I had fun, so that’s all that mattered.”

“I’m sorry she said that to you,” murmured Yuuri. “That was rude of her.”

“She’s doing her job, and someone needs to be the bad cop,” said Phichit. He had led Yuuri to a sofa in front of a TV. Seunggil and Leo were sitting down and they had waved at him before turning back to watch the screen. “If she didn’t want to play the mean judge role, she can ask makeup to draw her eyebrows to look less mean.”  
  
“Phichit!” Yuuri exclaimed, ready to chastise the other man for badmouthing a judge. He wearily eyed the camera fixed in the corner of the room. Who knew if they would decide to use the footage or not.

Yuuri was brought out of his musings as Leo exclaimed loudly. “I can’t believe this guy!”

“What, what is he doing?” asked Phichit. He sat down on the ground, next to Leo. Yuuri nodded at Seunggil before taking a seat.

“This Leroy guy is such a joke,” muttered Seunggil. “He came on stage all confident and smoozy and said that he was going to sing one of Victor’s songs, but in his style. I can’t accept this. This is too much.”

Yuuri blinked as he recognized the song. It was one of Victor’s more recent hits. “Huh.” he muttered.

On TV, Jean was finishing his rendition of _Victorious_. He ended it with a wink and a pose.

_“All my friends were glorious, but tonight JJ is Victorious!”_

-

_ Confessional Room - Jean-Jacques Leroy _

Jean-Jacques  
I feel great! You might think it’s pretty bold of me to sing one of Victor’s songs for my first performance, but that’s the best way to stand out! I also can’t have Yuuri Katsuki upstaging me! After all, isn’t that how he got on the show? He covered one of Victor’s songs and it went viral? Well, I need everyone to know that he isn’t the only one that can do a Nikiforov song justice.

Producer  
Do you consider Yuuri a rival, then?

Jean-Jacques  
Truthfully no. I saw his cover video and he was superb, but people act differently when they are under pressure on cameras. I think that was a miracle performance from him, but that’s probably his best. I don’t think anyone here is rival, yet. We’ll see if anyone worthy steps up to the King. A prince maybe!

Producer  
You think very highly of yourself.

Jean-Jacques  
Yes. Because how can inspire others to live their dreams if I don’t inspire myself? I know I am good at what I do.

  
-

  
A little while later, after the last contestant received his critique, Stephanie popped in the doorway again to tell tell everyone to gather on stage in fifteen. It was time for an announcement. Yuuri had quietly shuffled on stage, standing next to Phichit and Seunggil. With all 51 contestants, Victor, and the stray crew members milling about, the stage that felt so large and imposing earlier, felt very small.

Filming had not yet started, as they were waiting for the rest of the judges to return from their dressing rooms, and Yuuri wondered just how long they would be waiting. He cursed himself for not asking for a touch up on his makeup - between the hot stage lights, his own nerves, and the other people on stage, he could feel the sweat begin to gather on his forehead.

Yuuri shifted his weight between his left and right foot awkwardly, looking for a distraction. After a few moments, his eyes landed on Jean preening at a stoic looking man with an undercut and a short nervous looking brunette. Yuuri continued looking around, taking note of some of his fellow competitors until he spotted Victor getting his hair and makeup touched up.

Even sitting down on the stage steps, with a stylist instructing him to tilt his head this way and that, another stylist applying chapstick to his lips, cue cards in his lap, and Stephanie barking instructions at him, Victor Nikiforov looked at ease, in his element.

There was a natural charm to Victor that Yuuri always admired, had noticed from the first time he saw the other man. People like Victor were born to be stars; his raw talent, charisma, and thirst to surprise his audience led to his enduring popularity and brought fans of all ages and genders. However, most people were not Victors, especially not Yuuri; what Yuuri lacked in natural skill and charisma, he painstakingly nurtured through hours upon hours of practice and dedication.

Not to say Victor didn’t deserve his success - the man was a workaholic and perfectionist. It was common knowledge that Victor rarely took a break from the spotlight, but instead threw himself into new projects and endeavors with the same laser bright ambition and grace that he applied to everything in his career. At least, that’s how Yuuri saw it from his perspective as a longtime fan.

Victor at that moment, decided to look up and right at Yuuri, ignoring the stylists and Stephanie, as they tittered around him. Yuuri started and looked away sheepishly. He willed his quickly beating heart to slow down, swearing at himself that he was not here to fawn over his childhood idol. Yuuri took a deep breath and turned, pretending to be part of the conversation that Seunggil and Phichit were having next to him.

“What do you mean you didn’t like Miss SuperStar?” asked Phichit incredulously. He looked at Yuuri for backup, not realizing that Yuuri was never part of the conversation in the first place. “Seunggil, we’re on the spin-off of Miss SuperStar!”

“Miss SuperStar was more of a popularity contest and who could be edited for ratings.” Seunggil replied bluntly. “If it was truly based on talent, then Mila or Sala should have won. Not Britney with her underdog sob story.”

“She is such a hard worker though ---”

Yuuri missed the rest of Phichit’s reply as he decided to instead sneak another look at Victor. He flushed warmly as he saw that Victor was still looking in his direction, a peculiar grin on his face. This wasn’t the happy grin he was known for, or the practiced magazine smile of someone who knew exactly how to look good on camera, but the faint smirk of someone who had a surprise.

A Victor with surprises was dangerous. Yuuri could attest, as the man had personally shown up at his doorstep, contract in hand. Yuuri coughed and was about to pretend to listen to Seunggil and Phichit’s argument when Stephanie reached over and pulled out a megaphone.

“Standby guys,” she bellowed. Victor gave her a sad look as she had nearly yelled in his ear. It was always interesting to see Victor drop the camera ready visage, made him more approachable. She ignored him with practiced ease. “Cameras on ready to shoot in five!”

Victor got up, walked to the center of the stage. Once again he was the Victor that was on camera, the perfect idol. It was like a switch was flipped.

“Action!”

-

“Welcome back everyone!” greeted Victor. He bowed and gestured gracefully at everyone on stage. “Give another warm applause for our talented pool of 51!”

Applause echoed throughout the studio for a few moments as the audience cheered.

“Now, here is where the show gets fun,”’ said Victor, finger touching his lip in a mock gesture of suspense. “Everyone knows how the show works right? These men will compete to win the title of GPF, but how do we even begin to even rank them?”

Victor paused slightly, as if waiting for the audience to figure it out, smile growing on his face. “That’s right, we’ve assigned rankings based on everyone’s overall solo performance and if they’ve managed to properly ‘wow’ us. With their assignments, they would go into their first live group performance on _The Late Show_.”

The audience erupted with spontaneous applause and Victor had to stop again to wait for the noise to die down. “The rankings are very simple: gold, silver and bronze. Line distribution and overall contribution in the performance is dependent on ranking. Contestants ranked from 51 to 26 are bronze - they are back-up dancers. Everyone from 25 to 11 are silver. They will be secondary vocalists and dancers. And then gold.”

Victor waited for the audience again, eyes bright with manic intensity. “The top 10 contestants are awarded with the Gold. Gold means that these ten are considered the creme of the crop, the talented few that performed so stunningly well to not only impress the judges but also me. And from these ten there is one center - that is, the man that impressed us the most. This person would be the top, number one.”

The studio was positively electric with excitement at the news of the rankings. Some contestants looked worried, while others looked hungry. The judges remained carefully neutral, save for Mila who leaned back in her chair, fingers playing with a stray curl, and lips quirked a knowing smile.

“Now are you ready to see how your fave did?”

-

Yuuri couldn’t believe it. He had ranked sixteenth. Sixteen, a solid silver ranking, wasn’t what he was expecting. To put it lightly, he was frustrated. Yuuri didn’t think he did that poorly and the judges had appeared to like his performance, but he must accept that what happened, happened.

The act of announcing bronze and silver rankings was cold, to say the least. Victor didn’t announce their names, didn't acknowledge any of them, but instead had gestured at the large TV where their names were listed next to a number. Yuuri had definitely gasped as he saw his name next to the small insignificant 16. He looked around for his friends names.

Phichit had fared even worse - narrowly missing bronze with his rank of 23. Seunggil was a respectable 13, not quite gold but very close. When asked about it, the other man merely shrugged, claiming something about needing to understand the points system. Leo’s name wasn’t on the list.

After the bronze and silver rankings, Victor had announced another commercial break with a promise to reveal gold rank after. Right after, Stephanie had once again bellowed into her megaphone with instructions for the contestants to locate their seats.

What Yuuri believed to be bleachers was merely a very elaborate set, molded to look like bleachers. Blocky white chairs were placed on each level, with small rankings etched to the seat to designate who would sit where.

Yuuri was perched nervously in his seat, leg shaking rhythmically in nervous fashion, as filming began again. One-by-one, Victor called the other contestants that had placed in gold rank, starting from ten down to three. Leo had placed seventh and the crowd cheered as he exuberantly hugged Victor. Yuuri gave Leo a thumbs up, happy that he did so well.

The final two contestants were called up to stand next to Victor. It was Jean and the blond from earlier. The one that was currently glaring daggers at Jean on camera.

“Please give a round of applause to Jean-Jacques Leroy and Yuri Plisetsky!” thrilled Victor. He shook both of their hands and turned back to the audience. “Both gave rousing performances, worth of being the top two for today. But who is the center, number one? Do you have any last words before I announce your rankings? Jean?”

“Please call me JJ, sir!” boomed JJ. “It’s an honor to be here, and especially an honor kicking ass with your song, in pure JJ Style!” He once again struck his pose, jabbing his hands aggressively in front of him, and even Victor looked a bit taken aback by the man’s brazen attitude.

“You flatter me?” intoned Victor, eyebrow quirked. He suddenly turned to Yuri, who only looked more irate at the thought of losing to JJ. “And how about you, young Yuri? Any last words?”

“I’m going to crush him.” Yuri ground out. He peered at JJ, his jaw set, ready for a challenge.

The studio fell silent at Yuri’s remark and Victor seemed at a loss on how to salvage the situation. Luckily, JJ didn’t seem too perturbed at Yuri’s obvious hostility, in fact he was the complete opposite.

“How fun! You’re so cute and angelic looking but you have a bit of a bite,” laughed JJ as he reached out a friendly hand at Yuri. He raised an eyebrow at the blond. “I like that. May the best man win top gold.”

Yuri, after a beat, shook JJ’s hand. He was no longer scowling but instead settled for a steely nod.

“And, coming in first place is---!”

-

_ Confessional Room - Yuri Plisetsky _

Yuri  
Second place. Not bad but I wanted to win first. Next time, I’ll do even better.

Producer  
[speaks muffled in the background, prompting him]  
Did you think JJ deserved first place? Who else did you think should have ranked higher?

Yuri  
JJ got first, and he was incredible but also irritating. But that Georgi Popovich should have ranked higher. I saw his rendition of Karma Chameleon and he’s talented, if not over-the-top and desperate.

-

_ Confessional Room - JJ Leroy _

JJ  
[JJ gestures grandly with his hands, as if receiving applause]  
As expected of the King! I’ll show I have even more up my sleeve. Just you wait! I’ll perform everything in JJ Style!  
[Ends with a pose where his hands are held up in Js]

-

  **‘GPF51’ - Meet the 51 Men of GPF51 | Billboard**

Following the unprecedented popularity of Miss SuperStar, i-Net Media is launching a spinoff - GPF51. GPF51 or Grand Performance Factor is a survival reality TV show meant to find and develop the fanbase for the next multi-talented male popstar. Unlike its predecessor, Miss SuperStar, GPF51 has a unique audition process; electing to accept both video and in-person auditions. After weeks of speculation, both the cast and contestants list are finalized.

The centerpiece of the show is international popstar, Victor Nikiforov. Months ago it was rumored that Nikiforov of Stay Close to Me and Victorious fame was attached with the show as a possible judge. However, it was only recently that his role as the host was confirmed. Joining him on the judges panel are representatives from the most prestigious agencies such as Y&L, Celestino Records, Blue Night Entertainment, as well as past contestants from Miss SuperStar fame.

Billboard caught up with Nikiforov at the MGM Grand, a popular event space and hotel just outside of Detroit, to find out more about the show.

“The appeal [of this show] are the men themselves.” said Nikiforov. “I’m so impressed with their talent and drive. It is so inspiring. We’ve received so many auditions from around the world, that it was hard to choose just 51 finalists! If I could I would have a show with 101 contestants!”

(Read More)

**Show Comments:**  
1\. [+1,714, -269] what is victor doing? he has all these random projects that arent related to singing. he should retire.

2\. [+1,125, -113] Christophe Giacometti is so HOT. i don’t care if he cant sing or dance he can just stand there and be hot XD  
  
3\. [+962, -65] So is it true that that Katsuki is only on the show because of that video? Incredible. Katsuki should buy dinner for the person who uploaded that video!

4\. [+576, -88] When I first heard that there'd be a male version of this show, I thought for sure they'd never generate the buzz to keep it alive. Then I heard JJ would be on it and I changed my mind. They're going to get all the viewer ratings and votes since it is the Youtube King JJ. His video comparing Starbucks and Tim Hortons is still my favorite~

5\. [+253, -13] Ew gross, who would ever watch 50 sweaty boys singing and dancing?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Me after posting chapter 1:** Yeah I think I can get Chapter 2 out in a week or so, I'm already a good portion done  
>  **Me, almost a month later:** LOL lets watch Yuzuru Hanyu break the fs world record again. 
> 
> Yuuri is finally on the show! And filming! The show still heavily is based off of the original Produce 101 with the ranking systems and such. Eventually we will break away from the mold a little bit. Formatting this was the lucifer, jfc.
> 
> I started writing this before S2 of Produce 101 was announced and boy was I over the moon. S2 of PD101 is basically this fic but with more boys (almost 100). [Check it out!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIld_iEc67s) Also vote for my boy, Haknyeon (4:57).

**Author's Note:**

> The idea came to me while I was washing dishes one night. Out of all things. The show, GPF51 is inspired by the South Korea's Produce 101. If you haven't heard of it, it's an Experience. As an avid Korean pop fan, I hope this is as entertaining to you as it was for me to write. 
> 
> I can be found on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/KIMKlBUM/) where I scream about Kpop, real life figure skating (total garbage for Shoma Uno), and of course, YOI :3


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